Body-brace



entran srArEs PATENT, ormoni( g HENRY MELLIsH, or WALPOLE, Naw HAMPSHIRE.

BODY-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,023, dated January 9, 1849.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY MEL-MSH, of Walpole, in the county of Cheshire and State oic New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Constructing Body-Supporters; and I do hereby declare shows the manner of connecting the parts to the back pads. Fig. 5, shows distinctly the forms of the parts constituting the abdominal pad.

Fig. l, the supporter consists of a pair of serpentine elastic Wire spinal springs A, A, (the same letters referring to the same parts in all the figures) which are made by soldering or otherwise connecting one or more pieces of wire and a piece of steel plate of the forms and in the manner represented at A, Fig. 3. covered with cloth and paddedwith cotton or other elastic material between the springs and the covering on the side neXt the body, and have eyelets in the edges of the Coverings ;tor the purpose of lacing vthem to the shoulder straps B, B, Figs. l and 2.

The shoulder straps or braces are made of cloth and elastic webbing or other suit-able material, having their ends connected with buttons and button holes, a, a.

The adjustable back pads C, C, Figs. 1 and 2, are made by locking together vtwo swaged plates of metal b, and c', Fig. 3, with the ring c, between them in the channel f, in plate b, the ring e covering the notched circular' slot in the bottom of the channel, see the ring in its place c, 4., and also at c, c, Fig. 2, from the reversed side of the plate in pads C, C. l

Plate Z9, 'has lips projecting from one of its disks at the periphery to lo-ck on to the edges of plate c', between the cross channels g. c2 in Fig. 3 is the reversed side ofv plate c, Fig. 3. Thus it will .be seen that by placing the plate c within the lips of p late l), and locking them together with the ring c, 1n its place, there would be two openings crossing each other between them These springs are formed by the cross grooves g in plate c for the introduction of the forkedjends of the spinal springs A A. The forked ends of the sacral pad springs D, D, and the cross slide E, as represented at Figs. l and 2, and as the pieces may be seen crossing each other at Fig. 4. So that jthe whole may be made fast by passing the center screw k, through the plate b, turning it into the plate c until the plates are made to bear upon v'the pieces between them. See lz., Fig. 2.

The several spring pads D, D, are made by covering pieces ot' steel plate of the form represented at D, Fig. 8, with cloth and stutling thepsides next the body or as much of them as is not inserted into the pads C, C, Figs. l and 2.

The cross slide E, is a piece of steel plate cut in the forni represented in Fig. 3, having a slot near each end for the center screws la, 7i., to pass through. See Fig. 2.

The lateral curved springs F, F, are made of steel plate bent in proper shape to pass from the back pads C, C, over the hips and down onto the abdomen; these springs have each a pinion, or notched wheel, z', on one side at the back end, see z', Fig. 3; the teeth of which fitthe notches in the circular slots in plates b, see f2, Fig. 3. The springs F, F, are made fast to the pads C, C, by placing the pinions into the notched slots and making them :t'ast to the rings e, e with the screws J, J. See Fig. 2. Each of these springs has a slot ,7c at the lower end, by whichthey are attached to the abdominal pad, see 7c, k, Fig. l, by means of the oblong buttons on the front of the abdominal pad Gr.

The abdominal pad G Fig. l, consists of two metallic plates hinged together at their upper edges. See theplates distinctly at l, fm, Fig.`5. Between these plates (to keepf y them ap-art,) there is a spiral conical spring n., the end vof the wire at the basek of the and the hinged plates are broughttogether,

and by revolving it in an opposite direction the spring will be thrown out of its cavity and the plates thrown apart. This revolving plate is made by riveting two circular plates together, one of them r having a ribV them to receive vthe spring n, and to make a groove around its edge, and the other plate P, Fig. 5, has an opening throughitin the shape represented in the drawing, for the spring a, to pass through into the cavity between them, see P, Fig. 5. These plates Z, m, are covered with cloth, or other suitable material, and the side next the body paded with cotton or other elastic stutling.

The object of this arrangement of the parts is to form a supporter that will admit of the greatest possible degree of adjustability to the different sizes and forms of body and; also that different kinds of supportmay be given with the same instrument; which may be done, by detaching parts and retaining other parts in combination; thus enabling the wearer to adjust the supporter as the circumstances of the case may require.

To alter the supporter to dierent forms andsizes of body, liberate the curved lateral spring screws J, J, from the rings e, e, turn the rings until the screw holes are at such point in the slot as is desired, and there place the pinions on the springs F, F, in the slots making them fast with the screws J as before; in this way the springs may be set fart-her apart, as desired, or lowered.

The instrument may be made wider or narrower by letting out or taking up the lacings and fastening the pads C, C, at different points on the slide E. And it may be made longer or shorter by placing the pads C, C, at different points on the spinalsprings The instrument as represented in the drawing Fig. 1, serves the purpose of a shoulder brace, and spine-abdominal sup porter, supporting the. whole length of 'the ody retaining the parts below in combination it becomes a spmo abdominal supporter supporting the lower part of the body merely.`

And by detaching the sacral pads D, D,

from the whole combination the dorsal pads detaching the spinal springs A, A, and

lower edge of the sidevof the pad next the body will be thrown back or brought for ward Vas the case may require.'y

It is intended that the materials may be varied to suit the views and purposes of the constructor.

I disclaim the invention of parallel spinal springs used in combination with shoulder braces, ilium springs, and abdominal pads; but

I claim as my invention and improvementel. The employment of combined serpentine and straight 'slotted springs with the shoulder straps B B and back pads C C when constructed as described. Said elastic serpentine springs being formed and arranged as. set forth, admitting of `a more easy, lateral, and twisting motion of the body of the wearer than can be obtained by the use of the flat dorsal spring` as now used. Said serpentine springs having likewise a constant tendency to extend themselves longitudinally which causes them to have a continuous upward bearing against the shOulderbraCes which relieves the spine of a portion of the weight of the upper part of the body by a. constantly lifting action.

2. IV likewise claim the manner of constructing the back pads C, C, as describedthat is to say, each with a revolvingring to which the ilium spring is attached and circular notched groove in which the pinion and axle (attached to the ring and ilium spring) play around freely during the operat-ion of adjusting the abdominal pad-#the teeth of thepinion being constantly engaged with the teeth of the circular groove-the use of said circular groove allowing the4 abdominal pad to be changedto a variety of positions, horizontally, vertically, obliquely.

3. I also claim the manner of constructing the abdominal pad Gfthat is to say with a hollow revolving plate o tor the purpose of taking in the spring n and letting it out by turning plate 0 and thus graduating its length and pressure upon the inner plate m of the abdominal pad G-thereby fitting the pad to dilterentprotuberances of the abdodome-n.

MELLISH.

Witnesses LUND VTASIIINGTON, Sr., A. E. H. JOHNSON. 

